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Yehudit, Chanuka and the Greatness of Jewish Women
The story of Yehudit is perhaps one of the lesser-known miracles of the Chanuka story, but its impact is so great that the Rashbam held that the reason women are obligated in the mitzva of lighting the Chanuka candles is in the merit of Yehudit. Yehudit was the widowed daughter of the Kohen Gadol, Yochanan…
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The Folded Garment: Unveiling G-d’s Kindness
On the morning scheduled for my third IVF treatment, I was awakened early by my phone. A call from the IVF unit just before an embryo transfer is not a good sign and the nurse on the line did not have good news. Unfortunately, none of my embryos were viable and the procedure would have…
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Vayishlach: The Holiness of Simplicity
At the beginning of this week’s parsha, the pasuk tells us ‘vayivater yaakov levado,’ that Yaakov was left alone. It is at this moment, when Yaakov is separated from his large family, that Eisav’s angel comes to wrestle with him. Rashi explains that Yaakov was alone because he crossed back over the Yarden in order…
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Vayeitzei: Understanding Leah’s Tearstained Eyes
In her difficult pregnancy, Rivka was told she had two nations inside of her womb. Although we sometimes simplify this as a battle between good and evil, in truth, it began as a conquest for Olam Hazeh and Olam Habah. Eisav was given the strength to acquire Olam Hazeh as his portion and Yaakov, Olam…
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The ABCs of Prayer
Where Does the Concept of Prayer Come From? In the Shema, we are given the commandment to ‘serve Him (Hashem) with all your heart’1. The Gemara2 explains that we achieve this through prayer. For this reason, prayer is referred to as the ‘work of the heart’3. Prayer is also a replacement for the sacrifices of…
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Serving Hashem With What We Have
Toward the end of the chagim, we read Kohelet, written by Shlomo HaMelech. While reading it, I thought about Shlomo’s father, King David, and I discovered something fascinating that never struck me before. From his beginnings as a shepherd to the times he was homeless, running and hiding from his enemies, King David in his…
